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Sharon, Peres at odds on Arafat's role in violence

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Saturday, May 5, 2001

JERUSALEM — Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon blames Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for the continuing war against Israel. But Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told an American audience the violence in Israel was not under Arafat's control.

"I'm not sure I have a good explanation [for the violence], partly because of dissident groups, and partly because the forces under Arafat are not disciplined," Peres told the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "They themselves participate, some of them, in the shooting and killing occasionally without the permission of Arafat."

Peres's message relayed to the Bush administration appeared at odds with Sharon's assessment that Arafat controls events in the Palestinian areas and that the PA chairman is ordering attacks. The message left Sharon's aides stunned and some of them complained that this undermines Israel's campaign to blame the Palestinians for the current war.

Sharon is racing against the clock to end the Palestinian war against the Jewish state.

Sharon, political sources said, feels that his coalition cannot continue a policy of restraint amid escalation by the Palestinian Authority. The prime minister has already been placed on notice that Sharon's right-wing partners both in the coalition as well as in the Likud party will not agree to this approach.

One problem, the sources said, is that Sharon appears let down by the military. They said the prime minister does not find the solutions being proposed by the military as creative, let alone, effective.

"It looked like he had hoped the army would present more creative and significant ideas," National Infrastructure Minister Avigdor Lieberman said. The issue was discussed earlier this week and officials said Sharon has discussed a new strategy with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz.

Sharon is being inundated by complaints from his allies that the PA is being allowed to maintain its war against Israel. His supporters have urged Sharon to focus on defeating the PA in battle before any negotiations are launched.

But Sharon is being pressed by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to maintain the policy of restraint in a bid to maintain U.S. support and prevent a collapse of relations with the European Union. Peres is said to be convinced that PA Chairman Yasser Arafat wants to return to negotiations but is being opposed by his supporters.

Saturday, May 5, 2001


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